As information service providers offer more services through cable television, the demand for cable television bandwidth will greatly increase. Similarly, the introduction of high definition television (HDTV) channels, which require a significantly larger bandwidth than conventional television channels, will consume a large portion of the available cable television bandwidth. The number of cable television channels and bandwidth available, however, are limited.
Over-the-air and cable television channels are susceptible to both Gaussian and impulse noise. As a result, schemes for increasing the bandwidth efficiency of these channels must provide immunity to both Gaussian and impulse noise. Prior art systems which provide such noise immunity are complex and thus expensive, particularly where the data rate across a channel is high. However, consumer products, such as cable television reception equipment, must be reasonably priced if those products are to be widely successful in the marketplace.